Although narrowing the choices down by letters seemed like a great idea, it is still a difficult decision when you consider how many great restaurants there are in St. Louis. We value your suggestions!!!
C Week
This week, we were in the Central West End (even the location began with a C). We ventured into Central Table - www.centraltablestl.com, where there are several options at lunch for types of food, including and not limited to Deli and Hearth and a central dining hall to eat - and then there is a dinner menu. Since I have not won the lottery and work during the day and Wendy, when in her right mind, sleeps during the day to accommodate her night job, our option is for an early evening dinner. Again, this week, our normal night didn't work out and we had our pre-teen foodie along with us as we entered the dining hall (a modern mixture of concrete, wood and stainless steel).
At some point, it was suggested we begin with dessert at The Cup, but we went the traditional route and started with Central Table. Because of our early arrival, only a few tables were occupied and our server had more than enough time and patience to answer all of our questions and any one who knows me will tell you that I can ask a lot of questions (a trait I inherited from my mother). We learned about the difference between lunch and dinner, were told how the cauliflower steak was prepared and while watching one of the chefs use a melon baller on a large white vegetable, we discovered that he was preparing turnip balls for a root vegetable dish (I don't even have the patience to make melon balls and can't imagine the effort it was taking to get that scoop into a raw turnip).
The dinner menu is extremely varied from small plates of oysters, to entrees of short rib and lamb shank. Again, decision making required a lot of thought and by this time of day, my brain is at far less than peak. Wendy and I agreed to share appetizers and entrees. Pre-teen diner was not given a choice but to share his selection - a situation that gave him something worthwhile to grumble about.
While trying to decide, our server brought out a sampling of bruschetta that was made with what tasted like the best ripe tomatoes ever. There were four or five small pieces and they were good.
Wendy and I enjoyed the Warm Marinated Olives (they were said to be marinated in olive oil, orange zest and roasted garlic). The kalamata olives were the best as the green olives had also spent some time in some really strong vinegar! Olives by themselves do not really appeal to me. I need a little bread or cheese - something to help the olives and when I got to the vinegar bite, I needed water!
Our second choice to start with were the Pork Meatballs. The were perfectly seasoned and served in spicy tomato gravy and according to the menu a ricotta salad. I saw two or three small pieces of lettuce and the ricotta was floating in the "gravy". While tasting good, I thought the ricotta was a little off putting as I tend to gravitate away from "floaters". The meatballs on the other hand were the highlight of the meal.
The bread I wanted earlier and even though it was one small piece, it was large enough for Wendy and me to share. I have described the Corsica Loaf from Door County (Wisconsin) Bakery enough for Wendy to ask me if this bread was similar. It was good, but couldn't hold a candle to the Corsica Loaf (I foresee a road trip).
For entrees, Wendy chose the Cauliflower Steak. It was a large slice of cauliflower grilled and topped with a spicy pomegranate sauce. Both of us enjoyed the flavor of the cauliflower and the sauce, however, it was served with garbanzo beans that lacked flavor and a hummus that tasted like dirt (okay, I'll admit I don't recall ever really tasting dirt, and Wendy disagreed, but it felt like dirt in my mouth). The bite I had, and one was enough, had a dry, gritty feel with again, a flavor that I can only describe as dirt. When the floor manager asked about our experience, he made a big production out of my comment about the hummus and told me it had not been prepared correctly!
I ordered the Pappardelle - hard to mess up noodles which were wide and obviously made fresh. My Aunt Ida Marie used to make homemade noodles and since I have been old enough to remember, I love noodles!!! These did not disappoint and the sauce, though not in abundance, was spicy (too spicy for Wendy who usually loves all things hot) and contained a beef and pork Bolognese. I brought most home and had it for lunch the next day even though I ordered a cup of their Butternut Squash Soup with caramelized apples and spiced pecans for that very reason. I had the soup for dinner and although good, would not be something I would order again.
Pre-teen was in a funk, didn't want much to eat so he only ordered one California roll from the maki portion of the menu. I had to look up the difference between maki and sushi and found that maki is a type of sushi that usually wrapped in dried seaweed and rolled using a bamboo mat. The California roll at Central Table was great. It was filled with sweet, shredded crab, a piece of cucumber and avocado. Wendy forced our friend to order two and I was glad that he did so that I didn't feel bad eating a second bite. The sauce it was served with was also great.
Now, onto the real treasure of the evening: The Cup (www.cravethecup.com) with four locations and a sister store is a St. Louis treasure. We tried, between the three of us and Wendy's parents, several different cupcakes. The peach cobbler cupcake was so good that when Wendy called and said that she was going back to a little shop we had stopped in to have the watch she purchased replaces with one that wasn't broken, I asked her to pick up a couple more! It had a crumb topping, complete with pecans underneath the buttercream icing and slices of peaches in the cupcake itself. Just sitting here thinking about it makes me want another!!! Jerry wasn't thrilled with the chocolate cupcake I brought home for him, but his taste runs more to the cheap, chocolate (really I think it is black wax) iced donuts that you can buy in a box at the gas station - you know, the ones with a three month out expiration date.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading about our experiences so far and will continue to read and recommend new places for us to try in and around St. Louis.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Thursday, September 11, 2014
B is for Bahn Mi and Baileys' Chocolate Bar
Another stormy night, but we ventured out regardless. Bahn Mi is located at 4071 S. Grand in St. Louis and although they have had some difficulty with their website this week and we couldn't see a menu on line, the reviews for their spring rolls sent us traversing down Grand Avenue (passing a lot of places that will probably wind up on our list of must try restaurants.
Wendy and I, along with our teen age rebellion (he didn't want to try "Vietnamese with a French influence" food) were glad that we braved the weather and made our way to Bahn Mi. Not only was the food good, but we had a history lesson (compliments of Wikipedia) about Vietnam on the journey and when we arrived and were greeted by the owner/cook's son, we were glad for the information we had learned.
The family who owns Bahn Mi immigrated to the United States in 1975 just prior to the fall of Saigon. Our server's aunt had married a scholarly man from central Illinois and when faced with the move to this country, they located themselves as close to family as possible and we are glad that they did so!!!
To begin our meal, we started with appetizers number 01, 02 and 03 on the menu. 01 or Thit Nuong is thin slices of cooked meat (we chose beef) that was well-flavored and reminded us of mild beef jerky, but easier to chew. At a cost of $3.50, the Thit Nuong was two pieces of beef, lettuce, sauce and instructions to dip the beef in the sweet and spicy sauce. I would order it again.
02 or Cha Gio was two deep fried egg rolls made with paper thin egg roll wrappers. The filling was ground pork and while Wendy and our less than happy companion found the egg rolls to their liking. I, was not as thrilled with this choice. You see, 02 came after 03, the Goi Cuon, a serving of three spring rolls that on this dreary night were filled with Tilapia that had been fried before being wrapped with mint, cilantro, and rice in traditional spring roll wrappers. The amazing flavors of these egg rolls was worth the drive and 02's fried taste couldn't hold a candle to the delicate spring rolls. More, please!
The entrée choices were more difficult. Along one wall of the restaurant was a dry erase board with 14 different specials for the night in addition to the multitude of items that appeared on the printed menu. Our young accomplice wanted something like miso soup (he wasn't about to venture into something he was familiar with) and our server/son was great when he suggested 09 (Pho Bo) and then presented the beef noodle soup with a plate of bean sprouts and Vietnamese Basil to put into the soup. He also brought a dark paste in a small bowl for our friend to add to the soup, stirring before tasting. Young complainer loved the soup as did Wendy (his mother) and me. The basil had a sweet licorice taste, milder than anise, and delicious. The large bowl of soup in addition to an appetizer was a filling meal.
A2 - Tom XAO XA CURRY (stir-fried shrimp with coconut milk, lemongrass and curry) was the suggested entrée and although curry is never my first choice (bad experience one time and now I hesitate each time I see curry on a menu). Wendy and I shared A2 and both of us found it delicious. When Wendy questioned the obvious lack of French items on the menu, our knowledgeable server showed us that the blend of curry and the coconut milk was a definite French twist to Indian Curry and Thai food heave handed with coconut milk. French influence or not, curry and coconut milk is becoming one of my favorite flavors. Bahn Mi knows how to mix the two with crunchy shrimp to make a wonderful A2!!! Again, I will order this when I return to Bahn Mi.
For our final entrée (Wendy and I usually order one each and then split them both), we chose #5 from the specials list. No Vietnamese name for this dish, just a description of what was going to arrive at our table: Kingsize noodles with grilled lean ground pork and fried mungbean and vegetables. I was not sure what kind of vegetables were in this dish and I haven't been brave enough to Google mungbeans (don't you agree that the name is off-putting?), but it is hard to go wrong with noodles and Bahn Mi went right with the seasoning of this entrée.
Overall, Bahn Mi was a hit even with the reluctant pre-teen.
For dessert, we traveled to Baileys' Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square. Being a weeknight, we had no wait when we got there and were taken to the back of the restaurant where their were two couples enjoying each other's company. The first couple looked to be on a first or second date, you know the type, mid-twenties, trying to find clever things to say to each other and the other couple, a dad and 3-year old daughter who celebrate, according to dad, "date night" about twice a week (lucky girl).
The items on the menu at Baileys' makes it difficult to choose one of the decadent selections. Young, not so reluctant pre-teen (his demeanor changed walking into the Chocolate Bar) quickly decided on Baileys' Chocolate Brownie served warm with Bailey's Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. The camper in me (okay, I'll admit that I would rather camp in a hotel, but back in the day....) couldn't pass up the S'mores Ice Cream Cake and Wendy ordered the Chilled Chocolate Cream Pie. While all three items were good, the brownie was definitely the best!!! Crunchy on top, gooey in the middle, it was really good. My next favorite was the pie. I love crust and the non-traditional chocolate pie (thick chocolate) was served in a tart shell along side Honey Almond Ice Cream with strawberry sauce. They could have left off the sauce for me and I would have enjoyed it more. And last, but not least, was the S'mores cake. A big disappointment except for the marshmallow that had been browned on top. Would I go back, sure, who doesn't like the smell of chocolate? But the next time, I would try the peach tartlet or the chocolate crepe cake.
Any suggestions for C week??? Let us know.
Wendy and I, along with our teen age rebellion (he didn't want to try "Vietnamese with a French influence" food) were glad that we braved the weather and made our way to Bahn Mi. Not only was the food good, but we had a history lesson (compliments of Wikipedia) about Vietnam on the journey and when we arrived and were greeted by the owner/cook's son, we were glad for the information we had learned.
The family who owns Bahn Mi immigrated to the United States in 1975 just prior to the fall of Saigon. Our server's aunt had married a scholarly man from central Illinois and when faced with the move to this country, they located themselves as close to family as possible and we are glad that they did so!!!
To begin our meal, we started with appetizers number 01, 02 and 03 on the menu. 01 or Thit Nuong is thin slices of cooked meat (we chose beef) that was well-flavored and reminded us of mild beef jerky, but easier to chew. At a cost of $3.50, the Thit Nuong was two pieces of beef, lettuce, sauce and instructions to dip the beef in the sweet and spicy sauce. I would order it again.
02 or Cha Gio was two deep fried egg rolls made with paper thin egg roll wrappers. The filling was ground pork and while Wendy and our less than happy companion found the egg rolls to their liking. I, was not as thrilled with this choice. You see, 02 came after 03, the Goi Cuon, a serving of three spring rolls that on this dreary night were filled with Tilapia that had been fried before being wrapped with mint, cilantro, and rice in traditional spring roll wrappers. The amazing flavors of these egg rolls was worth the drive and 02's fried taste couldn't hold a candle to the delicate spring rolls. More, please!
The entrée choices were more difficult. Along one wall of the restaurant was a dry erase board with 14 different specials for the night in addition to the multitude of items that appeared on the printed menu. Our young accomplice wanted something like miso soup (he wasn't about to venture into something he was familiar with) and our server/son was great when he suggested 09 (Pho Bo) and then presented the beef noodle soup with a plate of bean sprouts and Vietnamese Basil to put into the soup. He also brought a dark paste in a small bowl for our friend to add to the soup, stirring before tasting. Young complainer loved the soup as did Wendy (his mother) and me. The basil had a sweet licorice taste, milder than anise, and delicious. The large bowl of soup in addition to an appetizer was a filling meal.
A2 - Tom XAO XA CURRY (stir-fried shrimp with coconut milk, lemongrass and curry) was the suggested entrée and although curry is never my first choice (bad experience one time and now I hesitate each time I see curry on a menu). Wendy and I shared A2 and both of us found it delicious. When Wendy questioned the obvious lack of French items on the menu, our knowledgeable server showed us that the blend of curry and the coconut milk was a definite French twist to Indian Curry and Thai food heave handed with coconut milk. French influence or not, curry and coconut milk is becoming one of my favorite flavors. Bahn Mi knows how to mix the two with crunchy shrimp to make a wonderful A2!!! Again, I will order this when I return to Bahn Mi.
For our final entrée (Wendy and I usually order one each and then split them both), we chose #5 from the specials list. No Vietnamese name for this dish, just a description of what was going to arrive at our table: Kingsize noodles with grilled lean ground pork and fried mungbean and vegetables. I was not sure what kind of vegetables were in this dish and I haven't been brave enough to Google mungbeans (don't you agree that the name is off-putting?), but it is hard to go wrong with noodles and Bahn Mi went right with the seasoning of this entrée.
Overall, Bahn Mi was a hit even with the reluctant pre-teen.
For dessert, we traveled to Baileys' Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square. Being a weeknight, we had no wait when we got there and were taken to the back of the restaurant where their were two couples enjoying each other's company. The first couple looked to be on a first or second date, you know the type, mid-twenties, trying to find clever things to say to each other and the other couple, a dad and 3-year old daughter who celebrate, according to dad, "date night" about twice a week (lucky girl).
The items on the menu at Baileys' makes it difficult to choose one of the decadent selections. Young, not so reluctant pre-teen (his demeanor changed walking into the Chocolate Bar) quickly decided on Baileys' Chocolate Brownie served warm with Bailey's Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce. The camper in me (okay, I'll admit that I would rather camp in a hotel, but back in the day....) couldn't pass up the S'mores Ice Cream Cake and Wendy ordered the Chilled Chocolate Cream Pie. While all three items were good, the brownie was definitely the best!!! Crunchy on top, gooey in the middle, it was really good. My next favorite was the pie. I love crust and the non-traditional chocolate pie (thick chocolate) was served in a tart shell along side Honey Almond Ice Cream with strawberry sauce. They could have left off the sauce for me and I would have enjoyed it more. And last, but not least, was the S'mores cake. A big disappointment except for the marshmallow that had been browned on top. Would I go back, sure, who doesn't like the smell of chocolate? But the next time, I would try the peach tartlet or the chocolate crepe cake.
Any suggestions for C week??? Let us know.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Aya Sophia 9-5-2014
Aya Sophia (ayasophiacuisine.com) was the first stop on our A to Z journey and while we normally eat out during the week, yesterday was a stormy Friday night and while others went to a rained out football game, Wendy and I, along with Wendy's pre-teen son went to Aya Sophia for dinner.
Aya Sophia is St. Louis' only Turkish restaurant. The décor was okay, the food was great.
Wendy and I shared:
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best ever, Aya Sophia easily scored a 9 on food and while we have made an agreement that we won't repeat restaurants on our weekly jaunts until we have completed the alphabet, Aya Sophia might have to find its way in on another night of the week.
Aya Sophia is St. Louis' only Turkish restaurant. The décor was okay, the food was great.
Wendy and I shared:
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad - We both like beets, so it wasn't surprising that this was the first item we ordered. The dish, light for a salad, came with four sliced cooked beets and three slices of a mild goat cheese that had been drizzled with olive oil. While the flavors were good, to call it a salad may be a stretch.
- Bohca - Meat pies that contained ground beef, onions and pine nuts baked in a phyllo dough. The seasoning was light and the pies were a perfect start to our meal.
- Sigara Boregi - Cigar shaped and stuffed with cheese (feta, ricotta, parsley and dill), they were crunchy and while I didn't taste the feta or dill strongly enough to mention, we both liked them and our guest ate two of the four that came in the serving.
- Sebzeli Musakka - vegetarian Turkish lasagna. The baked eggplant, zucchini, red bell peppers and potatoes were cooked in a sauce that was described as a béchamel with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. I didn't find the béchamel, the cheese made a nice brown topping, and the vegetables were almost perfect, the exception being the skin on the large pieces of red pepper were inedible. The Musakka was served with the lightest, fluffiest pearl couscous that was seasoned lightly with mint, cooked carrots and the best roasted brussel sprouts I have ever tasted. The caramelizing of the sprouts made the sweet and delicious. I'm sure they were seasoned with some mysterious spice that made them taste so good, but what it was is a mystery.
- Once we had tried our guest's mashed potatoes, we had to order a serving for us. Not at all creamy, but loaded with garlic, they were nothing but great! We also ordered another separate serving of the sprouts. Enough that Wendy was able to take some home.
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best ever, Aya Sophia easily scored a 9 on food and while we have made an agreement that we won't repeat restaurants on our weekly jaunts until we have completed the alphabet, Aya Sophia might have to find its way in on another night of the week.
A little history before we start.
Wendy and I are great friends. I'm old enough to have been her mother (a young mother, but I still could have given birth to her). We have strong opinions, some are similar, others are polar opposites.
I am happily married, a mother of one girl, a grandmother of two. Wendy is a single mother of one pre-teen boy.
Although our favorite go to place (we eat dinner together once a week) is Sugarfire in Olivette (a suburb of St. Louis), we both like to eat good food, try different foods from other cultures and we think that others can benefit from our experiences. To force us not to opt for the easy, we decided to do this alphabetically.
We hope that you will agree and we value your comments.
I am happily married, a mother of one girl, a grandmother of two. Wendy is a single mother of one pre-teen boy.
Although our favorite go to place (we eat dinner together once a week) is Sugarfire in Olivette (a suburb of St. Louis), we both like to eat good food, try different foods from other cultures and we think that others can benefit from our experiences. To force us not to opt for the easy, we decided to do this alphabetically.
We hope that you will agree and we value your comments.
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